Cross Country (Alex Cross 14)

“Hard to forget,” I said.

Chapter 46

I REALIZED WITH a jolt that my investigation could actually continue now, and that it was going to be something like a criminal investigation on Mars. That’s how different life was here in Nigeria at this point in time.

The Superior Hotel, where Flaherty dropped me, was sprawling. There wasn’t too much else to recommend it. It had probably been quite something in the fifties, or whenever. Now it had chipped stucco walls and a steady crew of locals in the parking lot hawking T-shirts, electronics, and phone cards.

It was also right near the airport. Three days in Nigeria, and I’d managed one small circle.

“Why’d you bring me here?” I asked as I changed my shirt in the backseat.

“I thought you might want to catch a plane in the morning. One can always hope.”

“A plane to where?”

“To home, duh. You should leave now, Detective Cross. Before they get serious about hurting you. You’re not going to get to the Tiger, but he could get to you.”

I stopped talking and stared at Flaherty. “The Tiger?”

Chapter 47

“THAT’S HIS NAME, Detective Cross. Didn’t you know? Actually, several of these gang bosses are called Tiger. But your guy was the first.”

“So, do you know where he is?”

“If I did, I’d take you there right now and get this over and done with.”

I tossed my bloodied shirt into a trash can and picked up my duffel. “What time can I meet you tomorrow?”

Flaherty grinned just a little. I think it was partial approval. “I’ll call you.”

“What time?”

“As early as I can. Get some rest. If you’re not here in the morning, I’ll know you’re actually sane.”

Before he took off, I borrowed some cash so I could pay for the first night at the Superior and also buy a phone card.

Forty-five minutes later, I was showered and fed, and waiting for my overseas call to go through.

The room was definitely nothing special. It was maybe 10 × 15, with chipped stucco walls, and the occasional water bug for company.

The bellhop hadn’t been surprised to find the bathroom sink fixtures gone. He promised new ones soon. I didn’t really care. After jail, the room felt like the presidential suite to me.

When Jannie answered the phone and I heard her voice for the first time, a lump rose in my throat. I forgot about the fact that my nose was throbbing and sporadically leaking blood.

“Well, look who’s not in school today,” I said, trying to keep it light and bright.

“It’s Saturday, Daddy. Are you losing track of time over there? You sound like you have a cold, too.”

I touched my sore and broken nose. “Yeah, I guess I’m a little stuffed up. I’ll live. I’m actually staying at one of the best hotels in town.”

“Alex, is that you?” Nana was on the extension now, and more than a little peeved, I could tell. “Where have you been for three days? That’s unacceptable behavior to me.”

“I’m sorry, Nana. It’s been a lot harder getting a line out than I thought,” I said and then started asking a lot of questions to avoid any more of my not quite lies.

Jannie told me about the fruit flies in her science experiment and about some new neighbors on Fifth Street. Nana was worried that the boiler noise in the basement was the same one that had cost nine hundred dollars the last time. Then Ali got on to tell me that he could find Nigeria on the map and that the capital was Lagos, and he knew what the population was—more than one hundred thirty-five million.

Then Nana said she was going to put Bree on.